Window frame

ABSTRACT

A window frame, particularly for a louvre window, includes a hollow lower sill having an outlet controlled by a flap valve which permits free flow of water from the interior of the sill whilst preventing the entry of air into said interior. The arrangement is such as to enable one to provide a louvre window which is rainproof even under storm force wind conditions.

United States Patent 1 Thompson 1 Nov. 26, 1974 WINDOW FRAME [75] Inventor: Norman Thompson, Wightwick,

England [73] Assignee: Beta Aluminium Products, Limited,

Shropshire, England [22] Filed: May 21, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 362,330

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 26, 1972 Great Britain ..24863/72 [52] US. Cl 49/471, 49/371, 49/476, 52/209 [51] Int. Cl. E06b 1/70 [58]' Field of Search 49/371, 91, 380, 471, 476, 49/504; 52/209; 160/44 3,314,201 4/1967 Riegelman 52/209 3,410,027 11/1968 Bates 49/471 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 468,413 7/1937 Great Britain 49/476 Primary ExaminerPaul R Gilliam Assistant ExaminerPhilip C. Kannan Attorney, Agent, or FirmYoung and Thompson [5 7 ABSTRACT A window frame, particularly for a louvre Window, includes a hollow lower sill having an outlet controlled by a flap valve which permits free flow of water from the interior of the sill whilst preventing the entry of air into said interior. The arrangement is such as to entable one to provide a louvre window which is rainproof even under storm force wind conditions.

11 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTE NBVZBIQH sum 2 or 2 WINDOW FRAME BACKGROUND OF INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a window frame which includes a lower sill of hollow form which, in use, serves as a reservoir with a valve-controlled outlet communicating with the interior of the sill, the valve of said outlet being a flap valve which permits free flow of water from the interior of the sill whilst preventing the entry of air into said interior, the configuration of the sill being such as to permit, in use, the formation of a head of water therein which exerts a water pressure at the location of the valve greater than the air pressure exerted by a storm force wind.

The configuration of the sill is preferably such as to allow the formation of a head of water of at least 35 millimeters.

Said lower sill preferably comprises an extruded aluminium box-section element with a synthetic plastics block fitted in each end of said element. Each block preferably has a check-valve-controlled outlet, the valve member in each case comprising a resiliently deformable element of, for example, neoprene, each element including a ribbed formation which is a push fit between a pair of internal walls of the block, said ribbed formation being adjacent an end of the element such that, when said ribbed formation is fitted between said walls whereby said end of the element abuts a stop constituted by a peripheral wall of the block, a lip formation at the other end of the element abuts a cooperating surface constituted by a wall of the extruded aluminium element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The louvre window construction includes upper and lower frame members and a pair of side members to which holders 10 are pivoted. The holders serve to mount the louvre panels and to make sealing engage ment with the side frame members, the holders being constructed and arrangement for movement in the manner set out in British Pat. Specification No. 1,042,731 to which reference should be made.

The lower frame member 11 is of hollow form, being of somewhat L-shape in cross-section as can be seen from FIG. 2, and has an internal wall 12, a base wall 13, an external wall 14 of stepped formation and a top wall 15. The outer surface of the external wall 14 is formed with a groove-defining projection 16 to receive a flexible sealing element 17 which seals against the lower most louvre panel when the window is closed. Above the projection 16, which extends for the length of the lower frame member 11, and adjacent each end thereof, the external wall 15 is formed with a circular hole 18 which is positioned so that any water which drains down the interior of the window panels and reached the projection 16 and the sealing element 17 will enter the interior of the lower frame member and will, as hereinafter explained, pass out of the frame member through a drainage slot 19 formed in the lowermost portion of the wall 14.

A polypropylene block 20 (shown in detail in FIGS. 3 to 6) is fitted in each end of the lower frame member 11 and has a cross-sectional configuration such that it is a close fit therein (see FIG. 2). The top wall 15 of the frame member 11 has an inwardly directed projection .21 which locates in a rebate 22 in an end wall 23 of the block 20. The interior of the block 20 can be considered as comprising two portions 24 and 25. The portion 24 communicates with the hole 18 and with the remainder of the interior of the lower frame member. Portion 24 has an end wall 26 which is opposite endwall 23 and is formed with an opening 27 in its lowermost portion; an opening 27a is formed in the lowermost portion of end wall 23, (see FIG. 5). The other portion 25 of the interior of the block contains a flap valve 28 compris ing a valve element 29 formed of a resiliently deformable synthetic plastics material, for example, neoprene or a polyurethane.

The valve element 29 has a fir-tree section portion 30 at its upper end which tits between a pair of internal walls 31 and 32 extending vertically downwardly from a position adjacent the step in the external wall 14. The fir-tree section portion 30 locates the valve element 29 which, as can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, tapers to wards its other end, progressively reducing in thickness. The tapered, free end portion lies against the upper surface of the base wall 13 of the sill, the free end of said tapered portion pointing towards the opening 19 in the wall 14 and the corresponding wall of the block 20 being formed with a registering opening 33 shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6.

When strong winds occur at the: same time as driving rain, some water will enter portion 24 of the interior of the block through the opening 27 and will flow beneath the wall 32 into a space 34 adjacent the valve element 29. A head of water thus builds up within the block until the water pressure is sufficient to lift the valve element 29 against the wind pressure acting thereon, as shown a water pressure of in excess of 35 millimeters can be obtained, this being sufficient to open the flap valve even under storm force wind conditions. The opening 27a adjacent the base of wall 23 is provided to ensure that water cannot collect in the hollow uprights of the frame. Although a figure of 35 millimeters has been quoted above, it is to be understood that the sill may be of different dimensions, enabling the develop ment of a pressure head of, for example, millimeters or even 50 millimeters.

What is claimed is:

1. In a window frame which includes a hollow lower sill which serves as a reservoir with a valve-controlled outlet communicating with the interior of the sill and the valve having a flap which permits free flow of water from the interior of the sill whilst preventing the entry of air into said interior,

the improvement wherein the flap is a resilient element mounted in a synthetic plastics block which fits in said hollow lower sill.

2. A window frame according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic plastics block has an interior which is divided into two portions separated by a vertical partition which has an opening formed in the base thereof.

3. A window frame according to claim 1, wherein the lower sill is an aluminium box-section element and wherein a synthetic plastics block is fitted in each end of said element.

4. A window frame according to claim 3, wherein each of said synthetic plastics blocks is arranged to communicate with an upright of the frame.

5. A window frame according to claim 1, wherein each synthetic plastics block is a closed sliding fit in the sill element.

6. A window frame according to claim 1, wherein the resilient flap valve includes a ribbed formation which is a push fit between a pair of internal walls of the synthetic plastics block.

7. A window frame according to claim 6, wherein said ribbed formation is adjacent an end of the valve member and, when fitted between said internal walls, abuts a stop constituted by a peripheral wall of the block.

8. A window frame according to claim 7, wherein the resilient valve member has a lip formation at its other end and wherein the lip formation is inclined to the horizontal and abuts a cooperating surface constituted by a substantially horizontal surface of the hollow lower sill, the upper end portion of the valve member being substantially vertical.

9. A louvre window which includes a pair of uprights, an upper cross member and a hollow lower sill which acts as a reservoir with a valve-controlled outlet communicating with the interior of the sill, the valve having a flap which permits free flow of water from the interior of the sill whilst preventing the entry of air into said interior, said flap being a resilient element mounted in a synthetic plastics block which fits in said hollow lower sill and a plurality of blade holders being pivotally mounted on the uprights of the frame.

10. A louvre window according to claim 9, wherein the lowermost blade holder at each side of the frame includes a flange formation for sealing engagement with the sill, said sill being of L-section with the stem of the L vertical and the foot thereof horizontal and directed, in use, towards the exterior of a building in which the window is fitted.

11. A louvre window according to claim 10, wherein the resilient flap valve includes a ribbed formation which is a push fit between a pair of internal walls of the synthetic plastics block, the internal walls being disposed vertically in spaced parallel relationship and the upper end portion of the flap valve, which has said ribbed formation, being disposed vertically whereas the lower end portion of the valve is inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal. 

1. In a window frame which includes a hollow lower sill which serves as a reservoir with a valve-controlled outlet communicating with the interior of the sill and the valve having a flap which permits free flow of water from the interior of the sill whilst preventing the entry of air into said interior, the improvement wherein the flap is a resilient element mounted in a synthetic plastics block which fits in said hollow lower sill.
 2. A window frame according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic plastics block has an interior which is divided into two portions separated by a vertical partition which has an opening formed in the baSe thereof.
 3. A window frame according to claim 1, wherein the lower sill is an aluminium box-section element and wherein a synthetic plastics block is fitted in each end of said element.
 4. A window frame according to claim 3, wherein each of said synthetic plastics blocks is arranged to communicate with an upright of the frame.
 5. A window frame according to claim 1, wherein each synthetic plastics block is a closed sliding fit in the sill element.
 6. A window frame according to claim 1, wherein the resilient flap valve includes a ribbed formation which is a push fit between a pair of internal walls of the synthetic plastics block.
 7. A window frame according to claim 6, wherein said ribbed formation is adjacent an end of the valve member and, when fitted between said internal walls, abuts a stop constituted by a peripheral wall of the block.
 8. A window frame according to claim 7, wherein the resilient valve member has a lip formation at its other end and wherein the lip formation is inclined to the horizontal and abuts a cooperating surface constituted by a substantially horizontal surface of the hollow lower sill, the upper end portion of the valve member being substantially vertical.
 9. A louvre window which includes a pair of uprights, an upper cross member and a hollow lower sill which acts as a reservoir with a valve-controlled outlet communicating with the interior of the sill, the valve having a flap which permits free flow of water from the interior of the sill whilst preventing the entry of air into said interior, said flap being a resilient element mounted in a synthetic plastics block which fits in said hollow lower sill and a plurality of blade holders being pivotally mounted on the uprights of the frame.
 10. A louvre window according to claim 9, wherein the lowermost blade holder at each side of the frame includes a flange formation for sealing engagement with the sill, said sill being of L-section with the stem of the L vertical and the foot thereof horizontal and directed, in use, towards the exterior of a building in which the window is fitted.
 11. A louvre window according to claim 10, wherein the resilient flap valve includes a ribbed formation which is a push fit between a pair of internal walls of the synthetic plastics block, the internal walls being disposed vertically in spaced parallel relationship and the upper end portion of the flap valve, which has said ribbed formation, being disposed vertically whereas the lower end portion of the valve is inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal. 